Man shot to death in midtown Manhattan

NEW YORK (CBS) - Violent crime in busy midtown Manhattan is a fraction of what it used to be. So it was a shock Monday when a man was shot and killed there in broad daylight.

It happened outside a school, just a few steps from Carnegie Hall, Central Park, and a major shopping district. It all happened with no warning.

Police are looking for a gunman who, in broad daylight, shot and killed a 31-year-old man in midtown Manhattan with a single shot to the head. Witnesses describe the killing as a cold-blooded execution.

Witness Benny Harris says, "One loud shot, we were all standing right here, and scared to death, we saw the guy lying on the floor."

At around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, a busy intersection in midtown Manhattan came to a standstill when the gunman, wearing a dark coat and hooded sweatshirt, came up behind 31-year-old Brandon Lincoln Woodard who police say was visiting New York from Los Angeles.

Investigators believe the gunman fired what appeared to be a silver semi-automatic pistol. The bullet struck Woodard in the head.

Delivery truck driver David Mirambeau was just steps away from the victim when the shooting occurred. He says, "He wasn't dead right away, he was still shaking, that's when I called the cops."

After killing Woodard, the gunman calmly walked toward an awaiting getaway vehicle, entered it, and quickly blended into the bustling New York City traffic. The area is teeming with tourists and is cose to popular sites like Times Square and Central Park.

In the chaos that followed, none of the witnesses were able to catch a glimpse of the killer. Woodard was pronounced dead at a local hospital, just minutes after the incident.

Police are now examining surveillance video and believe the shooting to be the work of a professional killer.